Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	church_n	day_n	time_n	2,357	5	3.6533	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77499	The false--teacher tried and cast. A subject useful at all times, and but too seasonable for the present. / By John Brinsley minister of the gospel at Great Yarmouth.	Brinsley, John, 1600-1665.	1658 (1658)	Wing B4714; Thomason E1821_2; ESTC R209775	32,187	84

As you love your souls take heed of them trust them not Avoid them That is Pauls earnest obtestation to his Romanes as before you heard in that his Epistle Rom. 16. verse 17. And let it now be mine to you serving as a closure to what I shall say upon this Text and this subject Now I beseech you Brethren mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to or besides for that sense the word will well bear 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 praeter doctrinam as the vulgar Latine renders it besides the doctrine which ye have learned and avoid them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shun all voluntary and intimate society with them Hoc argumentum facitut credam non fuisse tunc conventus communes aut Presbyterium Romae Alioqui voluisset tales excommunicari Grot. Annot. in loc This as Grotius conceives of it was all that those beleeving Romanes were then in a capacity of doing not being as yet formed into an Original Church so as to have any Presbytery or any Church Government among them which had they had surely saith hee Paul would have given them some other directions willed them to have dealt otherwise by them viz. to have Excommunicated them according as they deserved But however it was with them sure wee are what we have just cause to lament and complain of to God and man so it is generally with the Churches of Christ in this Nation at this day The onely remedy in these loose times which have no Government set up among them no authorized Presbyteries onely acting what any of them do in a precarious way by reason whereof those False Teachers which abound every where cannot bee proceeded against as otherwise they should bee in a publick way struck with the thunder-bolt of Excommunication and delivered to Satan as Paul saith hee dealt by Hymeneus and Alexander in his first Epistle to Timothy chapter 1. and the last verse that they might learn not to blaspheme What then remaines but that in a private way they bee shunned and avoided Vbisine tali reregimine est ecclesia nihil a iud possunt singuli quam declinare familiarem convictum cum iis qui non ex regulâ Christi vivunt Grot. ubi supra And this let me leave with you Shall such come amongst you own them not receive them not not into your houses For this that of this our Evangelist Saint Iohu is expresse in that forecited Text in his second Epistle chapter 10. If there come any unto you and bring not this Doctrine receive him not into your house neither bid him God speed To which hee subjoyneth an Argument or Reason in the next words For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds verse 11. And if you may not receive them into your houses surely by a Parity of Reason you may not go to theirs not repair to their meetings which how pernicious it hath proved to some and not a few of late times I shall not need to tell you Object But it will be said What Christians not to frequent the meetings of false teachers nor to be familiar with them have nothing to do with them how then shall wee try them If wee may not go to their houses to their meeting 〈◊〉 shall we try their Doctrines And if wee may not receive them into our houses so as to converse and be familiar with them how shall we try their Practise their Life and Conversation Answ Vertigo or The turning sicknes of soul unsetlednesse Printed 1655. The false Apostle tryed and discovered Printed 1656. To this I suppose you now expect that I should return an Answer but having my self heretofore done it in this place treating upon that Text in the thirteenth chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews verse 9. and finding it again since done by that Reverend Brother fore-mentioned in his Treatise upon this Text which I have now handled both which I presume are or may bee in your hands I shall now forbear that labour commending what hath been spoken to your practise and your selves to him who is of power to establish you to whom be Honour and glory now and for ever Amen FINIS

Which that none of you may be 2. Use 2 Christians exhorted to try Teachers By way of exhortation in the second place let me desire you to propound this Angel as a pattern for your imitation See that you try before you trust This will you do in matters of civil concernment How much more then in spirituals in things which concern the welfare of your souls your eternal salvation Herein you cannot be too wary And therefore take heed what Teachers you hearken to Yea though haply they be of great name and note much cryed up by many what ever their parts and gifts be yea what ever their life and conversation be yet do not so far make your selves servants to any of them as to pinne your faith upon their sleeve be not over credulous especially if they be such as these in the Text such as pretending to an extraordinary calling shall hold forth new doctrines such as the Church of God hath not been acquainted with Now bee jealous of them fearing what you have just cause to do that they are not what they pretend to be They say they are Apostles but are not Therefore bring them to the trial A thing which Christ himself commendeth Argument 1 A thing commended So he doth in this angel here among whose good works hee reckons up this for one his trial of such Thou hast tried them which say they are apostles and are not This tended to his praise Now this is one of the things which the Apostle willeth Christians to have an eye unto Phil. 4.8 If there be any vertue any praise any thing truly praiseworthy from men much more if commended by God think on these things so think of them as to do them Now were there no other Argument this alone should be sufficient to induce Christians to this practice doing this in a conscientious way with a respect to the honour of Jesus Christ which questionlesse this Angel here did for the asserting and vindicating of his name and truth whatever they meet with from men they shall have his approbation and commendation But secondly Argument 2 Commanded this is not onely commended but also commanded Those forenamed Texts are expresse being not onely counsels but precepts Try the spirits whether they be of God Prove all things So as this is not onely a Liberty but a duty a thing not onely expedient but requisite not onely what may be done but must be done Teachers especially if suspitious they must be tryed Quest But who shall try them and How shall they try them Two useful questions Take the resolution of each 1. Quest 1 Who shall be the tryers of these teachers Who are to try them Answ 1 Answ 1 To this I answer First Generally all Christians Generally all Christians To them are those forenamed exhortations directed of trying of spirits and proving all things General Lessons for all Christians who being spiritual are made judges of all things So 1 Cor. 2.15 He that is spiritual judgeth all things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the spiritual man not the Pope to whom some of his Parasites apply that Text. Nor yet onely the Clergy as they have been called the Ministers of the Gospel to whom custom in former ages hath appropriated that Title calling them spiritual persons in way of distinction from the so called Laity But every Christian who is enlightened and regenerated by the spirit of God He is this spiritual man who judgeth all things understanding and discerning the truth of God so much as concerneth his own salvation And being thus qualified he not onely may but ought to exercise this his judgement upon those whoever they are that bring doctrines contrary to or diverse from that truth trying them This are private Christians to do according to those abilities that measure of the spirit of discerning which God hath given them But Secondly Ans 2 This are the Ministers of Christ after a more special manner to do Specially the Angels of the Churches the ministers of Christ As it is in trying of gold if any pieces be suspicious every one before hee receiveth them will try them for himself having his scales for that purpose but the Gold-smith doth this after a more exact manner having not onely his scales for the weight but his touch-stone for the mettal Thus though all Christians are to try suspicious teachers doctrines yet the Ministers of Christ are to do it after a special manner Ministers Tryers by office they being tyrers by Office Such were the Apostles in their times Such were the Apostles and Evangelists who exercised this power upon divers trying and discovering them to bee what in truth they were nothing lesse then what they pretended So did Simon Peter upon Simon Magus the father of Hereticks as he is called a broacher and maintainer of divers blasphemous and damnable Heresies Peter tryeth and discovereth him to be what in truth he was not what he gave out himself to be and was by many taken for as you have the story Acts 8.21.23 And the like did Paul to Hymeneus and Alexander whom as he saith he delivered to Satan that they might learn not to blaspheme 1 Tim. 1. last proceeding against them by Ecclesiastical censures for the Heresie which they held forth in denying the Resurrection of the dead to whom Philetus also as it seemeth was joined whom upon the same account he taketh notice of 2 Tim. 2.18 19. And what himself did he willeth his Evangelist Timothy also to doe the like If a man teach otherwise saith he to him 1 Tim. 6.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 preaching other doctrine then that which the Church had already received from Christ and his Apostles and consent not to wholesom words even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and to the doctrine which is according to godliness from such saith he withdraw thy self have no communion with them whether Ecclesiastical or Fraternal but look upon them as they are as contagious persons not fit for Christian societie And the like he requires from Titus A man that is an Heretick after the first and second admonition reject Tit. 3.10 Thus did Paul set himself against the whole generation of false teachers willing all the Ministers of Christ in a special manner to do the like This did our Apostle and Evangelist Saint John whose zeal against that infamous Heretick Cerinthus is famous with whom he would not so much as enter into the Bath least the houses should fall on his head Vide Danaeum in August de Heres Chap. 8. and at whom he is conceived to strike as elsewhere in his Gospel in his first chapter so in those two places of his first Epistle 1 John 2.22 and 4.3 And the like did this angel here in the Text the minister or ministers of this Church of Ephesus To him or them it is that this commendation is here given for dealing with these false apostles